


Estelle

by robindrake93



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: Annabeth Chase Is Her Own Warning, Book 5: The Tower of Nero (Trials of Apollo), Estelle Is Percy's Daughter, F/M, Family Drama, One Shot, POV Third Person, Sally Jackson is a Good Parent, Suicide mention, Teen Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-05
Updated: 2020-10-05
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:42:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26826799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/robindrake93/pseuds/robindrake93
Summary: Percy and Annabeth become teen parents but they aren't ready for it, so Sally offers to raise Estelle as her own.
Relationships: Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson, Paul Blofis/Sally Jackson
Comments: 35
Kudos: 115





	Estelle

**Author's Note:**

> I made a post about this on [tumblr](https://luke-x-percy.tumblr.com/post/630920318263902208/i-wonder-how-many-fics-are-going-to-pop-up-making) because I cannot believe that Rick wrote about how Estelle has Percy's eyes....the eyes that he got from Poseidon. lol But I also don’t get how Estelle, supposedly born in March, could be sitting up and eating solid foods at...four-six months old. Then before I knew it, I was writing this scenario down! 
> 
> Mind the tags. It gets a little intense. Be prepared to cry. 
> 
> Do not reupload/repost my fics.

“Mom,” Percy said, his voice cracking. “I made a mistake.” His hands trembled. The rest of him was very, very still like the water at the bottom of a well. His sea green eyes were both watery and wide. When he looked at her, they showed all the inner turmoil that swirled beneath the still exterior Percy maintained. 

Sally Jackson set her English essay down on the coffee table and straightened her spine. She didn’t tell anyone, but she was taking a parenting class. It felt as though she hardly knew her son or what to do with him when he was home. Sally had needed help. Now she sat facing him, attentive. The class had empathized being attentive; especially during the teen years. “What kind of mistake?” 

Percy looked at her but also through her. His face turned ashen. The words seemed caught in his throat. 

Sally took a shot in the dark. “Does this have anything to do with Annabeth?” She knew that her son was incredibly anxious about his girlfriend. She thought that there was more going on than she knew, but Percy was always vague with the details. 

The look on Percy’s face when Sally mentioned Annabeth was all Sally needed to see. She knew exactly what kind of mistake her son had made. Part of her wanted to scream. _You’re only sixteen! Why would you do this?! Did you learn nothing from me?!_ But Sally was an expert at hiding her own thoughts and emotions. She didn’t let anyone know her truths. Not even her son. So all she said was, “Is Annabeth pregnant?” 

Percy’s body did a strange jerking motion like someone had tugged on invisible strings. Then he nodded. “But I don’t know how! We didn’t have sex.” He flashed his mother a guilty look that said while they didn’t have sex, they sure did _something_ sexual. 

Sally steeled herself. She didn’t want details but to understand, she would need them. “Tell me what happened, Percy.” 

Percy’s expression turned distant as he recalled. There was no pleasure in his voice or expression as he said, “Annabeth gave me a hand job at the park and I came on her thigh. We were both fully dressed though. And we wiped it off so…I don’t understand.” 

Sally decided that she did not like knowing that her son was exploring sex. She didn’t want to think about it, let alone hear about it. And yet… Sally thought about what could have happened. The idea that Percy was lying to her about how far they went briefly crossed her mind, but Sally dismissed it. Percy would have been honest about it. 

This was not a mortal problem, Sally decided. And she couldn’t think of it like one. Annabeth was a daughter of Athena. Athena was supposed to be a maiden goddess and it was true that she had brain children. However...there was one time that she carried a child. Sally put her fingers to her eyelids and sighed. “I think I know what happened, dear. As a daughter of Athena, that’s likely all it would take for Annabeth to get pregnant. Her mother got pregnant in the same way once.” 

Percy looked shocked. He couldn’t have looked more surprised if Sally had slapped him. He sputtered for a moment then asked “but who?” 

“Hephaestus, if my memory serves me,” Sally said. She lowered her hands. “He came on her thigh once and sired a child. But don’t ask me their name because I’m a bit rusty on those details.” 

Percy looked like he was going to be sick. Then, he burst into tears. This, as far as Sally was concerned, was just as bad as if he’d been sick. Percy held himself and rocked and sobbed. 

Sally reached for her son, wrapped her arms around him like he was still a little boy. His skin was hot and sweaty, his hair clinging to his forehead. How long had he been waiting to tell her? 

“What am I going to do?” Percy asked, half wailing. His panic couldn’t be more clear. “I’m so tired. I’m so tired. I don’t want to do this anymore.” 

Sally felt a needle of icy fear pierce her spine. Those weren’t the words of someone who was simply worried about pending parenthood. She wondered how many red flags that she had ignored in her son because he had to save the world or die trying. Well, Percy hadn’t died trying and though he tried to downplay everything he’d been through, Sally knew it was far more serious than he let on. Sally had read the myths and though it had been a while, she knew how difficult what Percy had done was. “What do you want to do, dear?”

Percy looked up at her, tears streaming down his face, and the answer was so clear that he didn’t need to speak it. _I want to curl up in a hole and die,_ his expression said. 

There were many times that Sally regretted that summer romance with Poseidon. Usually it was because of the sacrifices she had had to make. Sacrificing her body, her peace of mind, her finances, her dreams, the very son that Poseidon had given her. But never did she regret having a demigod son more than this very moment. If she could strip Percy of every trace of his father, then Sally would in a heartbeat. 

Sally took a deep breath that went unnoticed by her son. She looked around her apartment but there was no help. Nothing to help her help Percy. Even Paul wasn’t here at the moment. “What does Annabeth want to do?”

Percy stiffened in Sally’s arms. “I’m…not sure,” he said quietly. His voice was still wet but it had taken on a strangely detached tone. “I don’t think she wants an abortion...but I also don’t think she’s planning on keeping it.” 

“Do you mean adoption?” Sally asked gently. Inside she was screaming again. Annabeth wanted to adopt out her grand baby? What if Sally never saw this baby? Another child slipped right out of her hands. Fate sometimes felt crueler than necessary to her. 

Percy looked uncomfortable as he straightened. He wasn’t crying anymore but he looked no less distraught. “I don’t know.” His brows knit together but whatever was going through his mind didn’t seem to satisfy him. “I don’t want someone else to adopt my baby.” 

There was something there that made Sally think it was going to come down to Annabeth or the baby...but she couldn’t tell why her son would hesitate to choose his own child over the silly girl. There were plenty of girls in the world to be your partners but each child was a gift. Sally wanted to ask but she suspected Percy would close himself off. He did that when she tried to dig deeper into his relationship with Annabeth.

“And I’ve been having strange dreams, mom. I-I’m not sure that I’ll be around much longer.” Percy looked down at his hands. 

Sally’s heart leapt to her throat. Was this a cry for help? Was this her son putting his affairs in order? Should she ground him just to keep him at the apartment where she could watch him...watch him so that he didn’t hurt himself? Sally had never imagined that this was one of the trials she would have to go through. She never thought that her baby boy wouldn’t want to live anymore. What should she do? _Oh, Poseidon, help me for once in our son's life. Please help me to help him._

“I’ll adopt the baby,” Sally heard herself say. “If Annabeth carries to term, then I’ll raise the baby.” 

Emotions flashed across Percy’s face: surprise, relief, happiness, worry. Worry was what stuck. “Mom...no one can know that it’s mine. I have so many enemies. If word gets out that it’s mine...and I’m not sure how dad and Athena would take it if they knew…”

Poseidon and Athena probably already knew. They were gods and gods tended to be nosy. Sally forced herself to smile. “We’ll just say it’s mine and Paul’s. They’ll be raised as your sibling.” 

A look of pain crossed Percy’s face, followed by uncertainty. Then a familiar look of resignation settled. Percy swiped at his cheeks. “Are you sure? I know you’ve been wanting to be an empty nester.”

The way that Percy thought he was unwanted always broke Sally’s heart. It made her feel like a terrible mother. Did he really think that Sally didn’t want him? Didn’t want her own son? Later she would cry. Right now she couldn’t show weakness. Percy needed her. “Of course I’m sure, Percy. I feel like I didn’t get to raise you...I always had to send you away and I missed out on so much of your life because of it. I don’t want to miss out on my grandbaby’s life too.” 

Tears rolled down Percy’s cheeks. “But I will be. I’ll miss everything,” he whispered. And then the dam broke and Percy sobbed again. 

Sally wasn’t there when Percy told Annabeth about her offer. Judging by the way that Percy’s shoulders were raised with tension and he kept running his hands through his hair while he told her that Annabeth agreed, Sally wouldn’t have wanted to be there for that conversation. 

As it was, Sally now had to tell Paul that they were going to have a baby, likely within the next few months. Based on her own pregnancy with Percy and the fact that Annabeth wasn’t traditionally pregnant, it seemed likely that she would be due soon. Sally made sure that Percy was out of the apartment while they had that conversation. 

Sally sprung it on him one night after dinner, while they were both relaxing with a bottle of wine. “Paul,” she said. “What do you think about having a baby?”

Paul looked surprised but not unhappy with the idea. “Are you trying to tell me something?” He glanced down at her stomach. 

Sally sighed. “Yes, but not what you’re thinking.” 

Paul set his glass down. He sat up in his arm chair and reached across the space to the couch so that he could hold her hand. “I think you better tell me what this is about, Sally.”

There was no way to sugarcoat what Sally had to say. “Percy got Annabeth pregnant. We think it’s a good idea for the baby to live with me...us. You and I. It will be safer and the kids will be able to...to hopefully live their lives without so much responsibility for once.” Sally squeezed Paul’s hand. There were more words, just on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn’t make herself say them. Just thinking them hurt so much it was like a knife to the chest. 

Paul took his time thinking it over. He didn’t let go of Sally’s hand, nor did he squeeze it so hard that it hurt. Both of those were good signs. 

With her free hand, Sally took a sip of wine to settle her nerves. 

When Paul finally spoke he asked, “Will the baby be like Percy? Will it constantly be in danger?”

Sally considered for a moment. “The baby might have powers but they’ll be weaker than Percy’s and so will it’s scent.” That felt strange to say but Percy had assured her that demigod scent was a very real thing. _All demigods have a unique scent that’s a combination of their godly parent and their own personal smell,_ Percy had told her once. “As a legacy, we’ll only have to worry about the occasional monster and the gods will be less interested as well. Nothing like what I went through with Percy.”

Paul looked into her eyes for a long, long time. His eyes were a pleasant hazel that shifted between grass green and chestnut brown depending on the lighting. And they were always so warm with love when he looked at her. It was one of the biggest reasons that Sally had chosen Paul. Whenever their eyes met, Sally could see how he felt about her. That love remained even as she asked him to raise her grandchild as their own. “Well, we’ll be taking all the fun out of making a baby,” Paul winked at her. “But I think that we should do it. A baby will be a good addition to our family.” 

Sally set her wine glass down. Her chest had warmed and swelled with the feelings of love for this man. Paul was a godsend - better than a godsend but Sally didn’t have a word for it - and Sally was thankful for him every day. She met his gaze with an expression of wanting that always signaled her desires. “Oh, I don’t know, love. I think we could still have some fun.” 

Paul’s expression melted into one that matched her wanting. He stood up, hand still in hers, and together they drifted into the bedroom for a night of passion and celebration. 

They were going to be parents. The first time for Paul; the second time for Sally. There was ample reason to celebrate. 

Percy spent his time bouncing between Sally’s apartment and Camp Half-Blood. He didn’t bring Annabeth with him, said that she was too tired. It sounded like an excuse but Sally never called him out on it. If Percy was making excuses then they were only things he’d parroted back to her. 

One day, Sally overheard Percy talking in his room. She paused in the hallway outside of his room, back to the wall, and listened. 

“Are you alone?” Percy asked. 

Sally tilted her head as she listened. Percy had steel in his voice. This wasn’t the usual tone someone took with a secret partner. 

A girl’s voice answered. She sounded maybe the same age as Percy. It was a little harder to tell with girls. “Yeah. I’m alone. What do you want, Percy?” The annoyance in her tone told Sally that this was not a secret partner. This girl was something else. 

“You have biokinesis, right?” Percy asked. 

“All Aphrodite kids have it. Why are you asking?” The girl asked. 

“I need you to do me favor and I’ll give you anything you want in return.” Percy sounded so serious, as though he were doing a business transaction. 

“Why do I get the feeling that I’m not going to like this?” The girl asked, a sneer in her voice. If she sounded angry before then her next words were almost a snarl, “I won’t do anything that puts my cabin at risk.”

“It won’t be putting anyone at risk,” Percy said smoothly. His voice hadn’t lost the steel. “You need to keep what I’m about to tell you a secret. Swear it on the River Styx.” 

“Forget it.”

“Anything you want, Drew. A blank check from the son of Poseidon. Are you really sure you want to turn that down?” Percy’s tone had turned to honey. It was a startling contrast. 

Sally got goosebumps. What had these people made her son? 

There was a pause while Drew considered. “I swear it on the River Styx.” 

“Annabeth is pregnant with my baby. We’re giving it to my mom to raise. I need you to erase all traces of Annabeth from the baby. Preferably before it’s born. And without telling Annabeth about it.” 

Another pause, this one longer. Sally could feel Drew’s shock even though they weren’t in the same place. “That’s...a pretty tall order.”

“Then I’ll owe you a lot,” Percy said easily. He didn’t sound like Sally’s son. He sounded like his father. 

Drew gave a sigh of defeat. “I can probably whip something up. When do you need it by?”

“Yesterday,” Percy replied. “Annabeth can’t know.”

Drew made a noise. “Relax, Percy. It’ll be a flavorless liquid. All you need to do is make sure she drinks it.”

Even without seeing him, Sally could feel the tension in the room drop as Percy relaxed. “That works perfectly.”

“So do you want a boy or a girl?” Drew asked. 

Sally’s eyes widened. They could _choose?_ She remembered a movie about designer children, from a long while ago. Forget about science, demigods were centuries ahead. 

Percy hesitated. “A girl,” he said finally. 

“Noted.” 

“Please hurry, Drew.” There was no response. 

Sally quietly peeled away from the wall and backtracked down the hallway. When she approached her son’s room a second time, she made sure that she was loud enough for him to hear. “Hi dear,” Sally popped her head into Percy’s room. “How do you feel about blue pancakes for dinner?”

Percy looked guiltily at her. He shuffled his feet. “I have to get back to Camp, mom. Annabeth wants me to take her out to dinner.” 

Sally sensed what was coming next, because this had been a pattern Percy had made since he started dating Annabeth. Now that his summers were consumed with demigod quests, Percy didn’t have time for a job. 

“Can I borrow some money?” Every time Percy asked, he looked like he was getting his teeth pulled. Asking Sally and Paul for money clearly made him uncomfortable. 

Sally wondered why he didn’t just tell Annabeth no. There were limits on how much you could give to a partner; especially when it meant taking away from someone else. But even if she wanted to tell Percy no, Sally couldn’t. She wanted that baby and she was afraid of Annabeth changing her mind. “Ask Paul, dear.” 

Sally was torn between getting too excited for the baby - and spending a lot of money on the baby - and not spending enough just in case that the plan fell through. Dread settled in her stomach and at the back of her mind there was a little voice that whispered doubts at her. Something was going to go wrong. Sally knew it. 

So even as she bought supplies, she tried to limit herself and her excitement. Five outfits; one per day. They came in a pack. A single box of diapers and wipes. A playpen that could double as a crib. Some toys. A warm blanket. A pack of bottles and some baby formula. They made space for everything in Percy’s room. 

Paul caught on without Sally having to say something. It was the day before Thanksgiving when he finally asked Sally about it. “Sally, love, you seem to be of two minds.”

“I’m worried,” Sally admitted quietly. “There’s a lot that could go wrong.” She folded the tiny blue onesies into a drawer in Percy’s dresser. Blue because of Percy. Blue because of Poseidon. Sally wished suddenly that Percy had a different favorite color. 

Paul got up from the floor where he was assembling the playpen. He wrapped his arms around her from behind and pressed flush against her. “Maybe sharing your troubles will lighten the burden?” He suggested sweetly. 

Sally said, “They live such dangerous lives. The forest is stocked with monsters. What if one of them gets to Annabeth before the baby is born?” 

“Annabeth is a capable warrior,” Paul pointed out. “Pregnancy would probably make her more fierce.” For some reason, Sally felt that this was a threat against Percy rather than an anonymous monster; even though Paul hadn’t meant it to be. 

Not for the first time, Sally wished that she could just _call_ Percy. She missed her son. At least when he was boarding school, she could call the school and he could talk to her via the landlines. Camp Half-Blood had a magical phone that couldn’t be reached by mortals and mortals couldn’t use Iris’s rainbows to send messages. Even quieter, Sally admitted, “I’m scared Annabeth will change her mind about giving the baby to us.” 

If Paul and Sally weren’t given the baby, then who would raise her? Frederick and his wife, perhaps. Paul and Sally were friends with them and that wouldn’t be so bad. But Percy hadn’t mentioned Annabeth’s father and stepmother. 

“Well, we’ll see them tomorrow for the holiday. We’ll be able to feel out Annabeth then,” Paul said reasonably. He kissed Sally’s neck and then sat himself back on the floor to continue working. 

Sally wasn’t sure what she was expecting when she saw Annabeth, but it certainly wasn’t the girl looking absolutely and completely normal. That didn’t stop her from greeting Annabeth as warmly as usual, though she did throw a look over the girl’s shoulder. 

Percy’s eyes had that wide deer-in-the-headlights look that hadn’t left him since he told Sally about Annabeth’s pregnancy. He tapped his forehead and then gave a helpless little shrug. 

Sally had no idea what that meant. She would have to ask him later. “How have you been, Annabeth?” she asked as she pulled out of the hug. 

Annabeth sighed. “Being pregnant is the worst. No one ever said that it would be so annoying.” She shrugged out of her coat and held it out.

Percy took her coat and hung it on the peg beside them. He eased out of his coat and hung it up too. His hand kept going to his pocket and his shoulders were raised like he was anxious. To Annabeth he said, “Are you thirsty? I could get you a drink.” 

Annabeth glanced at Percy. Her eyes were cold steel. “Whatever is fine.” 

Percy swallowed. “Okay.” He didn’t look at Sally as he slipped past them and into the kitchen where Paul was making dinner. 

Sally was left with Annabeth. She didn’t know what to say. It felt like she and this girl were miles and miles away from each other. “Would you like to sit down?” 

“Sure.” Annabeth followed Sally into the living room. She sank onto the couch as if she was carrying more weight than it looked. She lifted a hand to her temple and winced like she was in pain. 

Sally sat in one of the armchairs. She racked her brain for anything that she knew about Annabeth. “Are you going to your father's house after this?” 

“No,” Annabeth said. “I haven’t told him that I’m pregnant.” 

“How is your pregnancy going?” Sally asked cautiously. Since Annabeth brought it up twice now, she thought it would be safe to ask. 

“I can’t wait for it to be over,” Annabeth said. There was no excitement in her voice. She was looking forward to the inconvenience being over and not to see her baby for the first time. Her gaze flickered toward the kitchen. “He’s taking forever,” she mumbled. 

As though she had summoned him, Percy appeared in the doorway. He had a mug of coffee in his hand. Percy’s movements were stiff as he closed the distance between them and handed Annabeth the cup. “Just how you like it,” he said meekly. He kissed Annabeth’s cheek. 

Annabeth took her coffee with one hand and put out her other hand to push Percy away. “Caffeine now, kisses later,” she said. Then she took a huge gulp of the coffee. There was no noticeable effect on the girl. She looked exactly the same as before. 

Sally wondered if Percy had already given her the magic drink to change their baby. She was afraid to ask Percy in front of Annabeth. Sometimes tact was needed. “My pregnancy was very short. Only three months.”

Annabeth cocked her head. Her curls framed her white face. Her gray eyes were machinery as she considered this. “I should be due in December. After I have it, I’ll bring it to you.” 

Internally Sally wanted to throttle Annabeth. Stupid, ungrateful girl. She had a miracle and she didn’t care at all. Sally suddenly understood exactly what Percy had meant when he said he wasn’t sure about how Annabeth felt. No one wanted to admit that their partner hated their child. Sally’s smile didn’t waver at all. “That sounds perfect,” she said diplomatically. 

Percy sat down beside Annabeth. He rested his hand on her thigh. “Paul said that dinner should be ready soon.” 

Sally nodded to show that she heard. She focused on Annabeth. “Have you been working on any projects lately? Percy told me that you’re the official architect of Olympus.” 

The change in Annabeth was like night and day. She suddenly glowed, sitting up a little straighter. Annabeth launched into an explanation of everything that she was working on, hardly pausing to breathe until Paul called that dinner was ready. 

Sally and Percy didn’t get a word in edgewise. 

Percy and Sally were on the couch on one of the nights that he was sleeping over. He lay with his head in her lap, staring blankly at the television. “It’s going to be a girl.” 

Sally was stroking his hair like she used to do when he was little. Before Gabe had come and tried to force them apart. “Girls are nice,” Sally said. She didn’t tell him that she already knew. 

Percy sighed. He glanced at his mother then back at the television. “I don’t want her to have a demigod name.” More fiercely he said, “I don’t want her to have anything to do with demigod life.” His passion and anger filled his voice, but they couldn’t hide the desperation. 

Sally always knew that Percy hated being a demigod. She tucked his hair behind his ear. “Paul and I are mortal,” she reminded him gently. There had been no talk of how often Annabeth and Percy would visit the baby. 

Percy seemed to go limp. One arm fell off the couch and he left it dangling in the open air. It was like watching all of the fight go out of him. “I know. But I’m not.” 

When Percy went missing in December, Sally was sure that she would be looking for a body. She was sure that he had committed suicide. All of the signs were there. It was like a checklist that Sally could go down and mark each and every sign of suicidal thoughts. She had seen it in his eyes, in his voice, and Sally had done nothing. Now Percy was gone. Just vanished. 

There were so many ways that Percy could have done it. He could have baited a god or monster into killing him. He could have slit his own throat (because just his wrists wouldn’t have been enough). He could have overdosed on nectar and ambrosia. He could have poisoned himself. He could have shot himself. Or he could have simply walked into the Underworld and never come back out. 

Sally couldn’t get it out of her mind. She kept thinking about his body, of all the ways it could be found. Did he suffer? Was it fast or slow? Did he regret it in the end? Why didn’t he say goodbye? 

Why hadn’t Sally done anything? Why didn’t she get him help? 

Sally cried everyday for the first week of his disappearance. Ugly, heaving sobs that made her head hurt and the rest of her body numb. She cried until she was dehydrated. For the past sixteen years, this was what she’d feared most. Something happening to Percy. She didn’t suspect that _Percy_ would be what happened to Percy but that only made it more devastating. She missed her son. Sally would give anything to have him back. 

Annabeth showed up on Sally’s doorstep two weeks after Percy went missing. She held a large basket with both hands. “This is for you,” Annabeth said as soon as Sally opened the door. The basket was offered to Sally with no fanfare. 

It wasn’t until Sally took the basket and felt its weight that she realized her granddaughter was in it. She pulled back the light blanket on top and saw an infant who looked exactly like Percy. Sally’s breath caught in her throat. Tears welled up in her eyes. “Thank you,” Sally whispered. She stood aside. “Come in.” 

Annabeth walked past her. She kept her coat on and didn’t sit down on the couch. Now that she wasn’t pregnant anymore, she had regained some color. “Have you heard from Percy?” Annabeth asked. She was no nonsense, her tone held no emotion. 

“No,” Sally said truthfully. She hadn’t shared her fears that Percy had slunk off to commit suicide. Not even Paul knew what she suspected. 

“You’ll let me know if you hear from him,” Annabeth said in a way that wasn’t quite a question. She rocked on her heels then asked, “Can I look at Percy’s room?” 

Sally nodded. She didn’t care. There were no clues in there as far as she could tell. Sally had combed the room looking for something, _anything_. Besides, there was something else more important than Annabeth searching her apartment. Sally set the basket on the couch and picked up her granddaughter. She held the baby close to her chest. 

The baby was small, but not too small. She was swaddled in a green blanket, which kept her warm enough. She nuzzled Sally, holding her little hands tight to her chest. 

Sally’s heart melted. Tears sprang to her eyes. She lowered her face to rub her cheek against the soft black fuzz atop the baby’s head. Not true hair, more like feathers at the moment, but it would likely grow into thick curls. Percy didn’t have curls but Sally’s parents had had them and this baby had only been stripped of Annabeth’s DNA. The baby had that new baby smell that Sally missed so much. She hadn’t realized how much she missed it until she was smelling it again. It was sixteen years ago that she last held a baby. 

Sally didn’t know how long Annabeth was snooping around but it seemed quite a while before the girl returned. Annabeth glanced at Sally and the baby. Her features were completely neutral. “I’ll let you know if I hear anything about Percy.” She made to let herself out. 

Sally realized with a shock that this was all Annabeth was going to say. She called out, “What’s the baby’s name?” 

Annabeth paused, hand on the doorknob. When she turned to face Sally, her expression was full of genuine confusion. “She doesn’t have a name. You can choose.” Then she twisted the knob and stepped out into the December afternoon. 

For a few long moments, Sally stood completely still. She struggled with her emotions. She privately thought that it was no wonder Percy had killed himself. Why did her son love this horrible girl? Did he love her? Percy must have, right? Sally needed to believe that Percy and Annabeth were in some sort of love, otherwise she would break down right now. 

The baby began fussing. 

Sally wondered when the last time she ate was. She wandered into the kitchen, bouncing the baby, to make a bottle for her. Even though it had been a while, Sally was still able to hold the baby and make a bottle. She felt a bit of pride over that. So her parenting skills hadn’t completely gone down the drain from lack of practice. “You need a name, darling,” Sally said aloud. 

Sally didn’t think that she would be lucky enough to choose her granddaughter’s name. While she fed the baby, Sally considered what to name her. Percy wanted her to be as mortal as possible, she remembered. So no demigod names. Well, Sally could do that. Naming her son after a son of Zeus hadn’t done him any favors. It didn’t seem to do any of the many children named after Zeus’ past children any favors, if what she’d heard from Percy was correct. Sally thought of her mother. “How about Estelle?” she asked the nursing baby. 

The baby opened one eye and then closed it again. 

Sally took that as a good sign. She held Estelle and with one hand - letting the baby hold her own bottle - and reached for the cordless phone. She had Paul’s work number memorized and now she called it. 

The receptionist answered and Sally asked to speak with her husband. They had been telling everyone that a baby was on the way. Sally had been pretending to be pregnant for three months. When people asked, she told them that at her age she’d been worried of a miscarraige and so she kept it a secret until she couldn’t. Most people were satisfied with this answer. 

Paul’s voice came on the line, “Sally, do you have any news?” There was real concern in his voice. It was so sweet, so loving. Nothing like that awful man Gabe. Every time that Paul was good to her and Percy, it made Sally love him all over again. 

“Our baby is here,” Sally said. “Annabeth just dropped her off. Her name is Estelle.” She settled herself in the armchair because it provided the best support, and thought about getting a glider. Gliders were really best for babies; they liked to rock. 

Paul’s breath caught. It was a few moments before he spoke. “I’m taking the rest of the day off.” There was a flurry of movement on Paul’s end of the line. 

Sally couldn’t deny him the chance to see this little bundle of joy. This one little piece of Percy. The thought made tears come again. Was Estelle all that Sally had left of her son? “We’ll be waiting for you. I love you.” 

“I love you too,” Paul said. “I’ll be home as quickly as I can.” He hung up. 

It was thirty minutes before Paul opened the apartment door. During that time, Sally had time to cry over the fact that her son may never get to hold his daughter. She still thought he was dead. She prayed that wherever he was, Percy was at peace. Paul zeroed in on Sally and Estelle, still sitting in the armchair. Paul closed the door, dropped his things. He crossed the apartment to Sally and dropped to his knees in front of them. The look of wonder on his face as he looked at Estelle was incredible to behold. “Oh,” Paul breathed. “She’s beautiful.” 

“She is,” Sally agreed, all of the pride of a mother in her voice. Estelle was absolutely beautiful. She was a perfect baby in every way. “And she’s ours.” 

“Our daughter,” Paul repeated. “Little Estelle.” He gently took one of Estelle’s tiny hands in his and held it. Then pushed up to kiss Sally on the lips. It was a brief kiss but there was so much emotion packed into it. Paul, Sally knew, would make an excellent father. 

Annabeth showed up every day to ask about Percy for months until one day she just vanished. After calling Fredrick, Sally found out that she had gone on a quest. There was no telling when she would be back. He didn’t have any news about Percy. Life went on. There was a baby to take care of and that was the only thing that Sally could do to help Percy. 

After Annabeth went on her quest, Sally packed the car for a day trip. She brought Estelle with her and packed extra supplies in the diaper bag. Just to be cautious. Children tended to need more than one would suspect, even when they were less than a year old. Sally kissed Paul goodbye and told him that she would be back soon. A few days at most. There was someone she needed to talk to. 

The drive to Westport, Connecticut, took an hour and a half. Estelle babbled along to the CD of children’s music that Sally had put on. She was really a good baby. 

Sally drove to a house that she had never been to before, but that she knew the address of. She had never met the woman who lived there. Percy had told her about this woman, a little over a year ago. Based on what he said, Sally wasn’t entirely sure that she should bring her new daughter here. She didn’t even really know what she was doing here.

The house looked like it hadn’t been very well taken care of over the years. The yard was overgrown and there were old toys and a swingset scattered about. There was no car that Sally could see, or any sign that anyone actually still lived there. Maybe this had been a waste of gas. 

The knock on her window made Sally jump. She turned her head and saw an older woman with snow white hair and eyes that were a very pale shade of green. She was as thin as a twig, wearing a faded house dress. Sally rolled down the window. 

The woman said, “Are you just going to stare at my house or are you going to come inside?” 

“I’m Sally,” Sally said stupidly. “I...I don’t know why I’m here. I’m sorry for bothering you.” 

May Castellan only shook her head. “I know, dear. Bring your little one in and we’ll have some tea.” She waited while Sally unbuckled her seatbelt and got Estelle out of the car, then she led the way to her house. The inside was cleaner than the outside but full of strange objects. Beanie babies that were monsters, photographs of a man that Sally thought must be Hermes, odd bits and ends. May plucked a manticore plushie from the mantlepiece, smacked the dust out of it, and then presented it to Estelle. “She’s lovely like her father.” 

Estelle hugged the beanie baby.

Sally didn’t know what to say. She knew that May had clear sight, like her, but it seemed that May’s sight was still very clear. “How did you know we were coming?” 

“There’s still a bit of Oracle left in me,” May said sadly. She led Sally into a parlour, where tea and cakes were already waiting for them. The tea was on a warmer. The cakes were decorated with blue frosting. She gestured for Sally to sit down on a loveseat. 

Sally sat down. She tried to reconcile this woman with the one that Percy had described to her. May did not seem out of her mind at all. Then again, the Oracle’s curse was over and done with. May’s sanity must have returned. “Thank you for having us, May.” 

May sat down in a chair and poured them both tea. She gazed at a picture of a grinning nine-year-old boy on the mantle. He had blonde hair and bright blue eyes. The eyes, Sally decided, always gave away demigods. No mortal had eyes that vibrant. It was the same with Percy; his sea green eyes almost glowed. “I can’t tell you what happened to your son. His Fate is blocked from me.” 

That was what Sally had come here for. She held Estelle on her lap and bowed her head in grief. 

“It hurts to lose a son,” May said. Her voice held so much sorrow. The kind of sorrow that only a mother could feel. Her words suddenly reminded Sally that May’s son had committed suicide. 

“I think Percy killed himself,” Sally found herself saying. These words that she had been holding secret suddenly spilled out of her. Her face warmed with embarrassment. No one wanted to admit that their child killed themselves. No one wanted to admit that their child was lost. 

May looked very old and very sad. She couldn’t offer any condolences. There weren’t words to relieve the pain. So they talked; about Luke and Percy and what their sons were like. There was some overlap between when Percy and Luke went to Camp Half-Blood but neither of them knew if the two were friends. They both liked to imagine that they were. 

Estelle ate the frosting off a cupcake, getting blue frosting all over her face and hands. Sally ate the cake part of the cupcake. 

Sally found that May was a good listener and soon all of her secrets were spilled. The secrets of Gabe, of Percy, of Estelle. So many secrets. 

And May told her secrets. Her life with Hermes, trying to host the Oracle. She told Sally about things she only somewhat remembered, about how she scared Luke into running away. No tears ran down her cheeks...but only because May dabbed at her eyes with a napkin. “Hermes still visits,” May said. “Well, he hasn’t for a while now. But he used to visit every week.” 

“Poseidon is married to a goddess,” Sally said. “Do you regret having a demigod son?” 

May looked at her with pale green eyes full of pain. “There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t wish I could have freed Luke from the gods and his Fate.” 

When Sally left, she felt lighter and she had made a friend. She promised to come visit again and that was a promise that she upheld. Once a week, she and Estelle made the drive to Connecticut to meet with May. Her immortal lover wouldn’t see her anymore, but Sally would.

It was a shock when Percy walked through the door of the apartment and back into their lives almost a year later. He was pitifully thin, with wrinkles all over his gaunt face, and all of his black hair had turned gray. His eyes resembled shattered glass more than water. “Hi mom,” Percy said in a hoarse voice. 

Sally had been reading a book to Estelle. The little girl loved to hear stories. She sat on Sally’s lap, looking at the pages and babbling happily. But when Sally saw her son, she set the baby down on the floor. Her entire body shook as she rushed across the apartment to throw her arms around Percy. He felt like he would snap in half if she hugged him too tight. The tears came and they didn’t stop falling. Sally had never sobbed or even cried in front of her son but she couldn’t help it now. There was no holding this in. 

Percy cried into her shoulder like a child. He held her with trembling arms. 

Paul came from the bedroom and when he saw them, he put his arms around both of them in a tight hug. Their anchor. “I knew you’d come home to us,” Paul said. His voice was tight with emotion. He had missed Percy...and he knew that Sally had missed him even more. 

When Sally could finally make herself pull away from her son and try to dry her eyes, she said, “There’s someone you have to meet, Percy.” 

The look on Percy’s face was indescribable. He looked around the apartment and then he saw Estelle. Percy trembled harder and then his legs gave out. He put his hand to his mouth and the tears rolled down his cheeks. 

Paul caught Percy before he hit the ground. He hauled Percy back onto his feet, which was far too easy for him to do considering that Percy was taller than him and used to weigh more. He shot Sally a concerned look.

But Sally only had eyes for her son. “Come and meet her. Her name is Estelle.” She took Percy’s hand and as a group they moved into the living room. 

Estelle had no idea what was happening. She was ignorant in the way that babies were. Her big sea green eyes watched them approach, only curiosity in her gaze. She had never met Percy. He disappeared before she was born. But she smiled up at them because this was her mom and dad, and she trusted them. Clearly, this sad young man between them was a new friend. Estelle made friends so easily, she was just that kind of outgoing baby to charm everyone. 

When Percy’s legs gave out a second time, they let him sink to the floor before his daughter. He scooped her up in his arms and rocked with her and silently sobbed. His tears left perfect little wet spots in her gray hair. 

They matched, perfectly, and there was no doubt that Estelle was Percy’s daughter. You only had to look at them. 

Sally held Paul and let her son have a moment. There was no telling what the future would bring. 

Percy moved back in. He struggled to get his GED. Watching Percy struggle to graduate ripped Sally’s heart out. Her son’s heart just wasn’t in it, and he tried but his mind was clearly elsewhere. “Annabeth wants to go to the college in New Rome. In California,” Percy broke down one day. He looked at Estelle, playing with her blocks, and then back at Sally. His eyes said that he didn’t want to leave his daughter. 

But monsters had already begun to slink outside of their apartment, drawn by the scent of a powerful demigod. 

Percy struggled. Every assignment turned in, every credit, was pulling him further and further away from Estelle and cementing his future with Annabeth across the country. He barely ate. He cried at night when he thought that no one would hear him. He spent every free minute with Estelle. 

When they finally introduced Estelle to the other demigods, it was as Percy’s sister. He slipped into the role of proud older brother. No one knew that it was killing him. Percy was a master of deception when he wanted to be. But he couldn’t hide his feelings from Sally. 

Annabeth came over rarely. It was mostly to make plans with Percy. She barely acknowledged Estelle. All she talked about was how great the college in New Rome was going to be and how she was going to make a name for herself on the West Coast. 

Sally wanted to slap her. Sally wanted to keep Percy with her forever, to never let him go. Instead, she held Estelle and breathed in her scent. All she could do was be there for Estelle and Percy as best she could. Time was limited. Sally spent every spare second with her son and his daughter. She was afraid that she would never see Percy again once he left for college. 

Percy didn’t say anything about it...but Sally thought that he was worried about that too. 

The day that Percy and Annabeth left for the West Coast, Sally couldn’t stop crying. She held Estelle and followed Percy around as he packed. Annabeth and Paul were discussing the car in the living room. 

Percy kept stopping to kiss Estelle or rub his cheek against her head. He was talking, almost non-stop, about how everything would be fine and they would visit as soon as they could. It sounded like he was trying to convince himself. 

Sally put a hand on Percy’s shoulder. She met his eyes. In a very, very quiet voice Sally said, “You’re always welcome here, Percy. You can come home whenever you want.”

Percy hugged them both. He shook. “I love you mom.” He nuzzled Estelle again. “I love you too, baby girl,” he whispered. 

Paul held Sally as Percy and Annabeth drove away. They were out of sight far too quickly. The distance felt like a hole in Sally’s chest. Her heart ached. She didn’t think it would ever stop hurting. 

The very next day, Apollo showed up on her doorstep. He didn’t exactly behave how Sally thought a god should but she welcomed him into her home. He seemed delighted by Estelle, as though he sensed the ichor they shared. “She has Percy’s eyes,” Apollo commented with a fond smile. 

No one besides Sally seemed to hear him but it made her blood run cold. Sally pretended like she didn’t hear his words and changed the subject. 

But Apollo watched Estelle for the entire visit and there was a knowing look in his eyes when he asked after Percy and then said goodbye. He didn’t bring it up to her again but Sally’s instincts told her that this wasn’t over. Everyone knew that Percy had gotten his sea green eyes from Poseidon and Apollo had lived with Poseidon for three thousand years. Of course he knew the truth. 

If Apollo knew the truth, if he told anyone, then Estelle would be in danger. All of the gods took an unusual interest in her son. Sally felt foolish for thinking that they wouldn’t take an interest in her son’s daughter. 

The next day, Sally paid a visit to Fredrick’s house. She couldn’t bear to go anywhere without Estelle, so the baby went with her. She smiled as Fredrick let her into his house. “Fredrick, you wouldn’t happen to have any celestial bronze bullets that would work with a shotgun, would you?”


End file.
